Amazon Smartphone

CNBC is reporting that Amazon does indeed have a smartphone lined up for launch, and will be announcing it this Summer. Via Twitter, they note the device will be announced in June, well ahead of a September release. Further details suggest 3D aspirations, which is something we’ve heard before from Amazon.

The Amazon smartphone is the white whale for smartphone enthusiasts. We’ve all heard stories of it for quite some time; some wild and wonderful, others sending us into frowns. The latest tale is one of the device having six(!) cameras, and launching in the second quarter this year.

We’ve long heard rumors of an Amazon smartphone. Some have the secret project pegged as multiple devices, while others make it out to be little more than a mid-range device solely for Prime members. A new report is re-kindling the rumors of a Kindle-esque smartphone from Amazon, leading many to believe it’s coming sooner than we think.

While Amazon may still be in denial about any plans to put out its own brand of Android-powered smartphones, its actions seem to say otherwise. The online retailer giant has recently been seen making a patent application for an object recognition service that could very well be implemented for a future Amazon smartphone.

Bloomberg is reporting that those rumored HTC Amazon devices we’ve heard so much about lately may come with heavy strings attached. The news agency is saying that the devices (plural) could be sold to Prime members only. It may sound limiting, but could be a winning strategy for Amazon moving forward.

If HTC is really going to get involved with Amazon, it sounds like they may be cannonballing into the deep end. A Financial Times report suggests that HTC will be producing three devices for Amazon, all ready for release in 2014.

An Amazon smartphone is one we’re on the fence about, and a persistent rumor in the Android realm. While we like Amazon’s moxie, we’re not sure if we want a smartphone so limited. Their walled garden ecosystem is really lacking apps, and there is also the concerns as to who would build their smartphone. If a new report is right, it could be none other than HTC.

We’ve been fielding reports for quite some time that Amazon has a phone in the works. These tidbits of information have been leaking out for some time, and often contrast one another. First we hear about 3D phones, then a free model, which gets us back to center and a basic phone, much like their Kindle tablets.